"Go to the sign of Harvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal

Monday, October 31, 2011

DDA1 Arena of Thyatis was released in 1990 and was labeled a low level module. Since this followed the other B series modules I always wondered why it was not a B series module and thought they were set apart for some reason. I recently read that it was most likely because of the pending change over from the BECMI "system" to the Rules Cyclopedia that occurred the following year. I am not sure if that is accurate or not though.

The module is designed for four to six characters of second or third level. The suggestion is for seventeen levels though I am not sure that is too important. The module is as much about role playing and problem solving as it is combat. The module is very much a mix of A4 and B6 in plot and feel. I am sure that gives too much away but the module has been out for a bit.

The module's plot is one that is easy enough to follow and would most likely be a fun one to DM though I am not sure I would like it much as a player. The concept behind it is one that as a player would make me feel like I had no options in what was supposed to happen which would be an issue. In a module like A4 this carries the plot in a series along but in an introductory module I might find it hard to stomach. It also falls prey to one of my concerns in some story lines in that why are second level characters being sued for something important like this.

The module does have some great material in it. It presents reasons why the characters might be involved and why they have attracted the attention of the necessary parties. It also presents an optional character class the Rake. The Rake is a swashbuckler/thief which might be a good alternative if a thief and some of the baggage they carry with them does not fit into the realm of what the DM wants. It also features a down and dity unarmed combat system including the option to disarm.

The module itself is broken down into five parts. Like I said earlier the module has a good mix of combat, role playing and problem solving. The maps in the module are all well done and the map of the mansion is something I might "borrow" for use elsewhere. There is also a nice overview of Thyatis with the various zones of the city and some important locations mapped out.

The module finishes off with a society The Order of the Sands which I am not sure would have any interest for the players unless one of them was smitten with the idea of arena competition. It also has a page dedicated to Thyatian names. This might seem wasteful to some but if you are going to use Thyatis as a setting I think the names of NPCs are not used often enough to add local flavor. The module also earlier had a synopsis of the legal system which could be of use later.

Though this would not be my first choice of the lower level "B" modules to use it is one that I don't feel money was wasted on. It packs in more than some others and except for heavy handedness required for the plot it is well done. I see this one go for more than some other modules and I think it might be that the print run is lower but that is all conjecture though the label change may have some affect as well. Regardless of all that this is one that I would suggest picking up if you can get it for the right price.

From the back cover:

"It's party time in Thyatis...

And simply everyone is going to the magnificent VILLA OSTEROPOLUS, home of the wealthy old senator, Helenites. Raucous fun, exotic food, and even advanced betting on the upcoming Arena games are expected. Even adventurers just in from the outlands may meet the powerful here. So don your festive togas, for in Thyatis City there are important connections to be made and deeds to be done, duels to be fought and fame to be won.

(But beware, oh Adventurer! The politics of Thyatis can be as labyinthine as the mazes beneath the Coliseum...)

This module is designed especially for the DM who wants to sharpen his interactive skills.
- Presenting the detailed layout of a Thyatian noble's mansion and maps of the multi-level Coliseum of Thyatis
- For four to six characters, levels 2-3
- Brief guide to Thyatis legal system
- New optional class, the Rake
- Fast unarmed combat system, including disarming attacks
- Special appendix on creating Thyatian names
- Featuring The DM's Guide to Winging It"

When this spell is cast the magic user causes another spell caster to be engulfed in an arcane fire. The fire will persist only for one round and may cause the target damage though there will be no effect on inanimate objects.

The fire will cause damage to the target only if they are another spell caster and only if they have spells remaining in their repertoire. If the target has no spells left to cast then there is not effect to them and the caster will know this.

If they do have spells to cast then the flames will give the magic user an idea of how many spells by the color of the flames. The flames will scale along the ROYGBIV scale with R being the lower number and V being the highest. The target will also suffer damage from the flames if they have spells to cast. They will suffer one point per their level plus one point per spell they have left to cast. The target is entitled to a save for half damage rounded up.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Code of the Harpers - FOR4, is a 2e supplement released in 1993. The product is designed for campaigns that are based in the Forgotten Realms setting and the supplement is even written by Ed Greenwood who is the creator of the Forgotten Realms. I know for may even the name causes a spike in the blood pressure. I to this day have not played a session set in the Forgotten realms but as a DM I have stolen from the material.

I am not going to bother doing an extensive review of the product. Not because it is not good but because it is already fairly well known for what it is. It is also so specific to the Forgotten Realms that it is not something that can be used as is for anything else. The history of the Harpers is so intertwined with the setting that a DM would have to recreate almost everything but the core idea to use it outside the setting.

The book does provide the DM the framework for what a group like the Harpers could do for a campaign. Since the Harpers were from Mr. Greenwood's setting I am sure they were not written as they exist in the book but started as a germ of an idea and grew. This is what the benefit of the book is to a DM not running a Realms setting. Since the book is about the Harpers as they exist in the Realms it does not lay out how to create a similar group. To do this though all one has to do is take something as simple as the chapter headings. Below are those heading:

Throughout the book there are numerous items that can be taken and used outside the setting. There are actual code of the Harpers is one such item as are the spells and magic items. The haunts requires a little more work but there are some nice ideas to be had there. In addition the book as a whole is well done and reading it will provide a DM with ideas the entire time. One section that stood out for me was a section called "A Typical Harper's Year" which detailed the events of the Harper for a year showing all the actions major and minor of note they performed. It shows that some actions need not be heroic to be meaningful.

In the end I know that there will be some that will not want to have anything to do with this because of what it is based on and even perhaps the era it came from. As I said I have never played in the Realms myself but I will steal from it. This book provides enough material for the DM that it is worth having in the collection. If you are a Realms DM the book is even essential if you are going to run them properly.

From the back of the book:

From the storm-lashed rocks west of fabled Evermeet to the Plains of Purple Dust, all the folk of Faerun have heard of the Harpers.

Noble fools, some call them. Crazy misguided meddlers, others say. Still others disagree. "The one true hope of the Realms," said one princess. "A shining light in the darkness of our lives," agreed a sage, "pray that it never goes out."

Just who are these mysterious, wandering folk who wear silver harp pins and walk softly in the most dangerous shadows of the Realms?

This book reveals the secrets, rules, and magic of the Harpers, including: Harper Runes, Harper Magic, The long, colorful History of the Harpers, Their evil foes, Their special Allies, The fabled high Heralds, What Harpers Do, Harper Haunts: their strongholds, and the Harpers who (literally) haunt them! Joining the Harpers, and how to become a True Harper and a Master Harper...

...And more, from favorite Harper ballads to detailed Harper NPCs. This is a sourcebook you'll turn to again and again. It lays bare the warring power groups who work behind the scenes in Faerun; no FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign is complete without it!

When this spell is cast the magic user causes the target door to become impassable for a specific number of attempted entries for those who do not know the proper phrase to permit entrance. Those attempting to use the door will find themselves somewhere else when the door is used.

The spell will cause those who use the door to enter the room it was cast from within to be teleported to another room when entered. The spell will cause the door to be randomly determined unless specific actions were taken during casting. The door the individual is teleported to must be within a 500' radius. This works in a sphere so movement up and down levels might be possible.

The spell will affect a number of entities entering the room equal to the level of the caster.The spell will have no effect on those leaving through the door. If the caster wishes they may specify the door that individuals will be teleported to. If this is done then all who enter it, other than the caster, will be teleported regardless of use of the phrase. The spell will remain in effect until such time that all of the instances of teleportation have been expended.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

I am not sure how many GURPS books there actually are. I have better than one hundred though there is an occasional duplicate and I am certain I don't have them all. Most of these I may never get a chance to use but they are still good to have. I have written about the Russia offering earlier as well as Riverworld. I have found the historical books to be some of the better products in the GURP's line.

Vikings was released initially in 1991 and was written by Graeme Davis. It is 128 pages long which seems to be right along the lines as far as page counts for these books go. There as been at least one other if not two other versions of the book released. I do not have the later copies but I would expect them to be almost the same. I prefer the cover to the older version which is the one above to the newer one.

Even though the name of the book is Vikings it actually deals with the entirety of the Norse world. The books is divided into eleven different chapters. Each one takes on either an aspect of the Norse world historically or how to utilize it in a campaign. The art in the book is sparse and is used to accent the topic being covered. I am not sure if this changed in later printings but the book does not focus on the art.

Chapter One deals with the Viking world. It covers the various aspects of the Norse society including topics along the lines of social classes ideals and and Viking law. It also covers the lands that would be considered part of the Viking world including Scandinavia, Denmark and Iceland. It also covers the various types of settlements that would have been common. One aspect of the GURPS books I have liked are the sidebars they use. In this chapter the one of Viking proverbs is especially nice.

The second chapter deals with characters. The chapter is a blend of historical information and information used to create a Viking character. The chapter discusses the real world topics of appearance, names and economics. It also has the additional information used for the character portion of GURPS that makes the supplement its own. These include specific advantage and disadvantages as well as quirks and skills. It then ends with a sample character.

In the third chapter the topic is one that would be near and dear to every viking, that of combat. The chapter covers the typical types of weapons and armor that would have been part of the Norse world. It covers both hand and ranged weapons. There is also extensive rules provided for mass combat. I found this portion of the chapter to be interesting and something that a DM could utilize outside of the theme with a little effort.

Chapter Four deals with the history of the Viking world. It starts with the of the Vikings discussing their origin. It then covers the roles that the Vikings played throughout their history covering the roles of raider, trader, conqueror and finally explorer. In all the chapter covers the era from the eighth to twelfth century.

The fifth chapter covers the Viking Campaign. It starts with discussing some defining ideas these will be the magic and violence levels. It next discusses the ideas of the campaign style. These are based on a combination of the levels of violence (two) and the level of magic (three) giving six different options. It then discusses three specific types of campaign ideas fleshing them out in more detail. This section includes a sidebar on Ten Things You Thought You Knew About Vikings which is very interesting.

In chapter six the topic of discussion is that of the Norse deities. I personally find the Norse deities and their stories much more interesting the those of the Greeks and Romans. The chapter discusses that Thor, Tyr and Odin are the three major deities and the others serve in a lesser role in the Norse society. The chapter has some interesting information but I think the sidebars here are just as good as the main material. The information on the world origin and cosmos design will be of extra help to a DM designing a campaign.

Chapter Seven deals with magic in the Norse world. This is one of the three defining elements of the campaign mentioned earlier. The level of magic allowed will be determined by that. In the historic campaign there will most likely be no magic. The fantastic and mythic campaign will each allow for increasing levels of magic. The chapter discusses how best to handle this. It also provides information on two specific types of magic. The two new types being introduced are shapeshifting and rune magic. It also has material on the magic items that could possibly be lent by the deities.

The eighth chapter is the Norse Bestiary. Much as with magic the Norse campaign will have limited fantasy elements in the way of creatures. Unless playing a fantastic or mythic there will not be any races other than humans. The creatures allowed in will depend on this as well. There are discussions on creatures that could be allowed under each and even then it is somewhat limited. It discusses Dwarves and Alvar (Elves) as well as Trolls and Giants. It then deals with the supernatural creatures including Grendel. It then finishes off discussing divine creatures, dragons and the undead.

In chapter nine the topic of discussion will be friends and foes. The chapter discusses the other various peoples that the Norse would or could have dealings with in a campaign. These range from the Saxons to Arabs to Inuits. As explorers or raiders the ability to interact with most of the world was an option.

Chapter Ten takes a nautical theme. This was as much as anything part of the Norse world. The chapter discusses the ships that would be common for characters to use and be on. The next topic discussed is ship handling and sea battles. The final portions of the chapter deal with actual sea voyages and with river travel. The sidebars here deal with some interesting topics that could be used outside the genre. The rules on storms at sea seem very much something that could be used by any DM.

In the final chapter we get some information on adventure threads. In keeping with the different types of campaigns we are presented with hooks for each of the three types based on magic level. Most of these are specific to the Norse world but some could be adapted into other campaigns with some work while some are generic enough to adopt as is.

The book ends with a glossary, bibliography including movies and an index. In this case the newer version might be a bit better but that is just conjecture. The book is a good read even if it is never going to be used but then I have always been fascinated with the Norse world so your mileage may vary.

From the back cover:
"Loot! Pillage! Burn!"

"From the fury of the Norsemen, oh Lord, deliver us!" So prayed the Irish monks.

To the victims of a Viking raid, the Norsemen were bearded giants with bloody axes. But the Viking was much more. He was a skilled navigator and a brave explorer and trader. He was a fighter to whom honor and reputation were far more important than life. He was a free man in an age of petty tyranny. He was a dreamer whose songs and stories live even today. And yes, he was a bloody- handed sea rover who took what he wanted!

This book is a complete guide to the Norse world. It includes maps, historical background, and details on society and religion. A separate chapter discusses Norse magic and runes. The new edition also provide templates for playing the magical races of Viking lore as player characters, and expands the number of campaign options available.

You can game any sort of Viking campaign, from fully realistic to magical and cinematic. Create a historical campaign, with sea battles, duels and bloody raids – or become a legendary berserker for mythic adventures with Thor and Odin!

You may live, you may die. No man knows his fate. But act bravely and the skalds will sing of your deeds forever.

When this spell is cast the magic user causes a large number of small mystical creatures to appear. These will in most ways resemble fireflies but are not living creatures.

The summoned creatures will be made to pester one creature when summoned. These creatures will surround the target and cause them a high level of distraction. In addition to obstructing view they will bite and sting the target. These will cause no damage or have no affect other than to distract.

While being distracted the target will suffer a -2 to all rolls (except where a +2 would be worse). The target is not entitled to a saving throw for this except when casting spells. Due to the nature of the distraction spell casting will not be possible unless the target makes a saving throw versus magic. A saving throw must be made each time a spell is being cast by the target. Fails and saves to not carry forward from round to round.

The material component of this spell will be the remains of some pest or annoying insect. The remains will be destroyed with the casting of the spell.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Dragon #52 hits us right off the bat with a great cover by Boris Vallejo. I have always appreciated his art as he is after all one of the most iconic fantasy artist of all times. Most of his work has never inspired my imagination like the one of this cover. The cover just lays the groundwork though.

Looking through these old issues are really often bittersweet. It is nice to relive some of the memories but then it hits home that it may never be this good again. It is possible that in 30 years someone the age I am now will be saying the same things I am now but just like comics and TV sometimes the best stuff will most often always be the older stuff.

The first article in the magazine is one dealing with clerics. It is actually a set of three related article written by two different authors. The three articles drive home to me how much clerics often become divine magic users more than agents of their deities. Played right a cleric should not be wandering dungeons with nonbelievers unless it directly serves the agenda of their church. Even then they should be trying to convert or at the worst admonishing those who do not believe.

The next article is by none other than J. Eric Holmes who is discussing the basic set of his creation as well as that of Tom Moldvay. The article is broken up though by another article which I would normally hate except in this case it is commentary by Tom Moldvay. These two articles alone make the magazine one to own. If it has not been done I think gaming companies should scour the older publications for insight into games design like this and make it part of a company manual.

The next offering may be one of the articles I used most while I was running a campaign set in Greyhawk. It is Leomund's Tiny Hut, written by Lenard Lakofka, it is one of the regular columns in the magazine. This topic is birth tables for the world of Greyhawk. It starts with the tables for human characters along with possible alignments from each location. It then provides a table and sub-table for demihumans with the primary table being what be considered demi-human lands and the sub-table being the possible locations where demi-humans might also be born. It then goes over the languages that might be spoken by inhabitants of each realm in an exhaustive manner. It then ends with an appendix by Gary Gygax concerning the human racial types in Greyhawk. Just a whole level up of awesomeness here!

The next article deals with undercover jobs. The information on salaries will be dated as it was written thirty years ago. It is funny to see those numbers though and how the levels for each profession have shifted some. The item that is still useful is that it rates each profession as far as their travel potential. This plays a role in what profession they may want to be hidden in. How may conferences can a elementary school teacher really play off that they are going to.

Next is the cover story article on Boris. This is a nice read but as I said earlier he has never been a favorite of mine and I bought these magazines way back when for gaming purposes. Not a selling point for me but it might be for some.

The next article was one of my favorite parts of issues from Dragon from that era. It is the Giants In the Earth series. This one deals with island enchanters. The two topics of this offering are Prospero and Circe. I had not noticed until writing this that the author for this is Katherine Kerr who has gone on to write a number of well received fantasy series.

Next is a short Gamma World scenario called Cavern of the Sub-Train. It is intended for beginning to intermediate level players and deals with them exploring a recently discovered subway system. I do not think that I ever ran this and I for the life of me can't imagine why. I will have to remember this if I ever get a chance to run 1e Gamma World again.

Following another regular column, the Dragon's Bestiary, we are presented with an article on the history of siege warfare. I recall as a teen that this was most likely my first real exposure to this type of information. We discussed sieges in history classes but never with the detail on what was involved just that it happened.

We are next presented with an article that was in response to a readers letter from an earlier issue. I wonder how many letters were sent in as a result of just announcing that. I have spoken ill of prestige classes many times so I hate bringing up these but the article presents three variants of bounty hunters. One is a merger of rangers and assassins. The second is a hybrid ranger and thief class and the latter is a subclass of fighter. I prefer the middle offering but feel like a hypocrite in even saying that. I did roll one up as a player at one time I think :(

There are a number of other normal offerings in the magazine that I won't write about. I do want to mention the Minarian Legends though. This series has to be on of the most overlooked gems from that time period. It takes the world from the Divine Right games and expands it in such a way that it could be used as a campaign setting. Something I still might get around to doing sometime.

Note: Missed yesterday due to an Internet outage. Actually it was cable, phone and Internet. The story about not putting all your eggs into one basket came to mind often yesterday!

This spell allows the magic user to cause a series of increasing pains to occur in the target creature. The spell will cause increasing levels of damage as well as hinder the target.

The spell will start by doing 1s4 for the initial round of the spell. The creature will be entitled to a saving throw and if made they will suffer half damage rounded up. The spell will cause a progression in the possible damage by one dice type each round (d6, d8, d10,d12 & d20). The target is entitled to a save each round to halve the damage.

In addition to the damage the spell will hinder any actions that the target creature may be attempting. The saving throw made each round for damage will determine how the creature is affected. For each round after the first if the save is made the creature will suffer a -2 to all to hit, damage and saving throw rolls. They will also suffer a +2 to their effective armor class. If the save is failed then it becomes a -4 to all rolls but the +2 will remain the same. The spell will not prevent any actions just make them less effective or harder to accomplish.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Planescape is a setting that I have not had all that much experience with. It was released late enugh into the 2e that I was in one of the down periods of my role playing history. I also had the misfortune of most of it being released during the "Magic Years" as I like refer to that time period. Most of the old role playing group I played with at the time had become enthralled with M:tG.

Being an old school gamer in my mind the other planes were always something you did at higher levels. The fact that Planescape was a whole campaign setting and not just for higher levels actually escaped me for the longest time. I am not sure that would have mattered but I just wanted to share that. I have been lucky enough to pick up everything for the setting at reasonable prices. Everything except the Sketchbook which I will never own.

The Eternal Boundary is the first published module for the Planescape setting. It was released in 1994 and was written by Richard Baker III who has penned many items for TSR/WotC getting his start under 2e with Dark Sun and Planescape but also responsible for the SRD for d20. The module was intended to serve as an introduction to the setting of Sigil and was written for four to six characters of 1st to 5th level.

The module does a good job of what it sets out to do. It introduces the characters to the city of Sigil in a way that will allow them to explore without getting into too much trouble. It also introduces them to the idea of Factions which will be a major portion of any Planescape campaign. It even lets the players make a foray onto one of the Elemental Plane of Fire. It even gives them a possible base of operations in The Black Sail Tavern.

The appearance of the module as with most of the Planescape material is well done. It will have some of the inherent problems that were part of the second edition of the game but that can be overlooked for sake of the setting. The module allows the DM to let the players go where they want in Sigil without having to force them from encounter to encounter. The Sigil portion is open ended. There is a progression in the module but it is laid out without having to railroad the characters.

I really wish I had been able to experience setting when it was new. It offered a fresh take for the system like perhaps no other setting has done. It was Spelljammer different without the seeming too contrived and it offers a level of grittiness like Dark Sun without locking the players into what was always a little too drab for me.

I didn't want to give too much away about the module so I will leave it off here. The module is a great introduction to a setting that may be one of the best that TSR has ever released. I am not sure it will ever replace Greyhawk as my favorite but it was a breath of fresh air as far as settings go. The only problem is that with being as good as they are and the print runs being much smaller in many cases the products for the setting can get really expensive even hitting three figures at times.

From the back of the module:

"Welcome to the Cage, friend. You'll want to watch your back in Sigil - it seems every cutter here's got a way to peel a clueless basher, and you're no exception. Besides, there's something happening down in the Hive that's got the factions in an uproar, and word is you're the cutter to look into it. Barmies and bubbers have been waking up in the Dead Book, but they haven't been staying there. They've been returning to Sigil with minds restored, telling tales of the Eternal Boundary. But the air's turning foul here in the Cage, and there'll be blood spilled soon if someone doesn't learn the dark of things, an quick!"

The Eternal Boundary is a PLANESCAPE adventure for a party of four to six characters of 1st to 5th levels. Players are introduced to the city of Sigil - the Cage, as some call it. Inside this crossroads to the planes, a sinister plot unfolds, leading the heroes into the most dangerous and desperate part of town - the ramshackle slum known as the Hive. Do your player characters have what it takes to confront the Eternal Boundary - and pass beyond?

By means of this spell the magic user is able to locate a specific type of creature. The creature being sought may not be what would be considered a normal animal. The creature must be one of a mystical or mythical nature. Anything considered a Monster will qualify.

For the spell to work effectively the caster will need to be in an environment where the creature might normally dwell. This is not a requirement though as if the players know that there is a specific type of monster in the sewers this would work. For situations where less specific information is known being in the correct possible type of location will help.

When the spell is cast the magic user will know the correct cardinal compass point to start looking. The spell will only find a direction if the appropriate type of creature is within less than a days travel on foot. The caster will periodically need to spend one round concentrating to further define the direction. The closer they are the more correct the direction feeling will be.

The material component of this spell will be a piece of flesh or other body part of the type of creature being sought. The component is not used up when the spell is cast.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Chronomancer is a supplement released by TSR for the 2e AD&D system in 1995. I am not going to spend a whole lot of time writing about this product. I own the supplement only because I am cursed with the completist affliction :).

Time travel in movies and stories are great. I am sure there are even certain games where the idea works well. The idea might work with Tri Tac's Fringeworthy and I know GURPS has a supplement for it as well. In a fantasy RPG I am don't think it belongs. This is just my opinion so your mileage for Chronomancer might vary.

Chronomancer describes a new class of magic user who's specialty is the use of spells that are temporal in nature. I now a few of the spells I have posted deal with this in a minor way but nothing along the lines of what is put forth for the new class. This is also 2e so there are the early stages of prestige classes in here though they were called kits under 2e.

Normally a book like this will have something that the DM can use in it's 96 pages even if they are not going to use it as provided. In most cases this may come down to the spells, magic items or monsters. Well the spells are mostly all time related and though there may be one or two that could be ported overall this is not the case. Next in looking at magic item they all seem to fall into the fantasy tech realm. Even as good as Expedition to the Barrier Peaks was I prefer my fantasy and science fiction to not cross that much so strike two. Finally we have monsters which for this are again all riddled with the time motif so they won't work in a normal campaign...strike three.

All of this is really my bias. The product may be useful to many and there could be campaigns were this concept plays out well. I for the life of me just can't see how being able to go forward and back in time can allow for a game with any continuity and not getting a little over powered.

Again for the for the record though I love it in movies, TV and fiction. Just not in my fantasy game.

From the back of the book:

You have all the time in the world - and now you don't.

The final and most dangerous fantasy frontier lies not in space, but in time! At last, the dimension of Time is open to those few wizards who would risk everything - even their very existence - to visit ancient and forgotten lands, or see the unbelievable wonders and horrors of the future. These few wizards are Chronomancers, and this optional 96-page AD&D game accessory reveals the secrets of their lives. New spells, new powers, and new realms - as well as terrifying monsters - are brought to light in this stunning work. Take time to study the mysteries of chronomancy - before someone else takes that time from you.

When this spell is cast the magic user allows themselves to temporarily become one of the living dead in form. The caster will have all of the physical attributes and special abilities of the undead they are going to mimic but will retain they own mind.

The type of undead that the caster will be able to mimic is determined randomly to a certain extent. When the spell is cast the magic user will make a roll as if they were a cleric attempting to turn undead. Their roll will determine what undead they can mimic. They can mimic any undead up to they type the turn roll would have worked against. For determination of this roll the magic user is treated as a cleric three levels lower than their own level.

The duration of the spell will be based on the level of the caster and the type of undead as well. If the caster would have been able to turn or destroy the undead type chosen automatically then the duration of the spell will be 2 turns per level of the caster. If not then the duration will be 1 turn per level.

While in the undead form the caster will have all of the abilities and benefits as stated earlier. They will also have all of the vulnerabilities as well. Should the caster be turned as undead while in this form they will be affected as if undead except for the case where they would be destroyed. If this is called for then the spell is immediately broken and the caster will need to make a saving throw. A successful save means the caster only loses 1/4 of their remaining hit points while a failed save means they lose 1/2.

The material components of this spell will be a small piece of remains from any type of undead creature and a small vial of grave dust from an unconsecrated grave. Neither of these are destroyed with the casting of the spell and may be reused.

It should be noted that if the caster is able to have obtained a pint of ale from a place called "The Winchester" the roll to determine level of undead will be at +4 - just kidding.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Monday, October 24, 2011

I previously reviewed Gods and talked about how it would be useful for a HM wanting to use Monsters in their campaign. Monsters is actually the book that addresses that option directly. I am not sure I would ever want to run or participate in a campaign made up strictly of monsters. I was in an "evil" campaign once and it turned into who can commit the biggest atrocity.

In a limited scope I can see how adding some monsters/creatures as a race might be useful. It might even be that in certain campaigns that what are evil creatures normally are now peaceful creatures that coexist normally with the other races. Monsters does not take this route though so it would be up to the GM to make some changes.

Monsters was released by AEG in 2002 under the d20/OGL platform. The book is done in B&W with a limited amount of art but what is used is really quite good and used to compliment the material and not as filler. The book is 152 pages long and contains a lot of material. Though it was originally released with a $24.95 price sticker it can be picked up for a song now.

Monsters is broken down into six chapters. The chapters are as follows:

The Age of Man
Monster Races
A New Breed
Anti-Heroes
Outcasts
From the Hands of Giants

The first chapter deals with what would be considered the normal monster races that already exist in the in the d20 environment. This sections gives an overview of the races. It addresses their society and how they interact with other races. The capsules give the DM an idea on how the races might function in the world as a whole if used. The section is a good read even if the book is not going to be sued as is.

The second chapter si where the book lays out the various races as if they are going to be used as races in the game. The section takes each of the races and provides overall information on them as a race and then racial traits. The information provided about them as a race is Personality, Physical Description, Relations, Alignment, Their Lands, religion, Language, Names and Adventurers. It then provides a description of a tribe from that race to give the GM some ideas.

Chapter three presents the GM with new races that they might use. Some of these are interesting but may too unique for most campaign worlds. Many of these are crossbreeds from the previously listed but there are new races entirely as well as variants of the previously provided races. This section provides the GM two options. the first would be to use as suggested. but I think the option of introducing them as new monsters in the proper format is a better option. Something that is rearing its head after lurking in secret for centuries.

The next chapter is not a bad chapter but it is one of the reasons I am not a big fan of the d20 3.x system as whole. Chapter four deals with feats which I do ot have a problem with. These I understand the need for as part of the system as whole. The chapter does include a number of new Prestige Classes. There are actually nine new prestige classes provided. I have never been a fan of the idea of prestige classes. To me this has always been like getting a mini splat book in every new d20 product.

Chapter five deals with the idea of a a monster campaign. If you have an inkling of running such a campaign this will give you a solid idea on how it might be done and some of the pitfalls you may encounter and how they can be avoided. This may be the most useful chapter in the book though chapter three with the new races offers it some strong competition. There are parts of this chapter where the advice can be applied to a traditional campaign.

Chapter six provides the GM with spells and magic items that would be geared towards a monster specific campaign. With the spells this is the case and I did not find any of the spells all that interesting or useful. The magic items provided are better and there are even monster artifacts provided. I can see using these in reverse where the players need to find and then destroy the monster artifacts. It also provides a Monster manual style entry for each from chapter three.

I can see a use for this book and am glad that I have it in my collection. I am not sure it will ever get used for the stated purpose but there are races that can be taken and used in a normal campaign with a little work. It also provides the GM with new races that can be sued as adversaries in a normal type of campaign and then finally it provides some new magic items as well as artifacts that be used as ongoing adventure fodder as previously mentioned. The book can often be picked up for less than a $1 online and even with a few bucks in shipping this is worth the price.

From the Publisher:

Where reality ends, fantasy starts and at the heart of fantasy lies monsters. Roaming bands of mercenary monsters run along side their human and elven compatriots, searching out adventure and making names for themselves. Orcs, minotaurs, and all the rest are packed into one book. And now that you have Evil, GMs can run full monster campaigns. Details about monster culture, psychology, and adventuring provide GMs and PCs with enough information to run an entire party of trolls, ogres, ettins, orcs, goblins, and more. Rules for mixed races, new feats, and skills only monsters know. New prestige classes, rules for PC monster races, and new magic await.

From the back cover:

TOOTH * CLAW * FANG

My people have stood watch over this land for centuries. There was a time when wars between our kind and the ogres were commonplace. Savage, brutal campaigns left both sides demoralized and broken, But, in one season, each would be prepared to fight again. This was always the way of things.

The ogres have moved on, but the need for watchful eyes has not passed.

Our brothers are savage and warlike, but we are not. Our cousins make enemies with everyone around them, while we stand vigilant and hopeful. Our kin take offense at the slightest misunderstanding, provoking war with nations twice their size and strength. It seems that no matter where we live, conflicts arise.

Our hope is to find a place where we belong and our children can live in peace.

-Gr'gthyr, Gnoll Warden

THIS IS A GUIDE TO EXTINCTION

This sourcebook contains everything a GM or player needs for campaigns involving monster races as PCs. It includes all of the information you need for playing orcs, trolls, and all manner of monsters as player characters. Additional rules for new races and cross-breeds are also included.

The beasts within are yours to command.

THE WEAK SHALL BE CULLED

* New feats
* New spells and magic items
* Rules for monster PCs
* 9 new prestige classes
* New monsters races as adversaries
* 17 new races and original cross-breeds

When this spell is cast the magic user summons forth a mystical being who will serve as a piper to lure away a number of creatures. The piper will only be able to exist for a limited period of time in the world of the caster though.

The piper will be able to pull away one creature for each level of the caster. The caster targets which creatures will be affected though they must be in hearing range of the piper and must be able to hear the pipers music. Those selected by the caster will be affected by the spell for at least two rounds.

After the initial period each creature affected is entitled to a saving throw every third round. The first saving throw will be made at -4 and then next at a -2. Future saving throws will be made normally. The piper will continue leading the victims away for a number of rounds equal to the casters charisma score.

The material component for this spell is a small flute like instrument. The flute is not used up with the casting of the spell. The cost of this item will be 100gp.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

There are covers of Dragon Magazine that stick out in my mind. Most of these are for positive reasons either because they are that good or they spur imagination. This one is one of those few ones that stick out for another reason. It is in no way a bad piece of art it is just so different than any other I can recall. I have also always thought that the patron looked a bit like Jack Nicholson.

I saw this last night while flipping through some scans and decided I would write about another magazine. I try to limit these. It was odd that this was the one I found because there has been some recent talk on villains and not so long ago about being a good GM. This issue has articles on both of these topics as well as a few others.

The issues first article is "Courts and Courtiers" and it deals with NPCs for royal courts. It provides a list of possible unique personalities that one might find in the court. It also suggests using the "Foils" article in Dragon #136 which I will have to check out. It then provides a random chart for court activities and a rather extensive list of expert hirelings that could be connected with the court as well as their costs. If you game involved nobles in any way this will be information to check out.

The next article deals with giving the evil NPCs an even break. There are some great tips here to make even the most basic of bad guys more challenging for a party. It focuses on spell casters but then who doesn't include an evil magic user or cleric in a dungeon now and then. Most of the spells are low level and in some cases involve turning tricks players use back upon themselves which I have always been a favor of. I always told players if you can have or do it then the bad guys can as well.

The next article was one that really struck a cord with me. I hate the fact that in many sessions I have played in even the important NPCs end up being nothing more that stat blocks. The most memorable events in my gaming history are where there was role and roll playing involved. It puts for the idea of the seven sentence NPC. I am going to sue this for every NPC I need to create from now on. The DM should write a single sentence describing NPC for each of the seven topics. I will list the seven topics below which I hope does not violate copyright. I will quote one of the samples they provide as well.

"Baron "Wardog" Muckdigger is the lord of a small land holding in east Sembia, of which he is the seventh heir. He is a short man, clean shaven with a very upright posture. Wardog is a 9th-level fighter famous for his incredible stamina (Con 18) and his leadership abilities (Cha 15), as well as his alleged ability at musical composition (his works are described as being more like the sounds of war than actual music). Beside composing music, the baron's greatest love is war, and he will use almost any excuse to take up arms against anyone he thinks might prove an interesting adversary. The baron has a rather blunt and direct way of dealing with people, but mixes it with enough charm to avoid being abusive. He knows a lot about military tactics, different military organizations and how to defeat them, but virtually nothing about the back-room politics in Sembia (or music, for that matter). The baron always talks in a loud voice with his head stuck right in your face, so you can smell the heavy garlic on his breath."

The next article deals with villains, as opposed to simple NPCs, in your campaign. The article calls them reoccurring NPCs but what is a villain but that. The "good" villain is the one that though perhaps thwarted finds a way to escape and return again. They will also need to be fleshed out being something more than a stat block. Using the Seven Sentence platform above would be a great start but perhaps make it a paragraph on each. It is also possible that what starts out as a NPC will become the villain through happenstance. The villain does not even need to be one that the party is trying to kill but one that has motivations opposed to that of the party or one of the players. The article does a much better job than me in describing this and I think any DM should give it a read.

The last article of note in the magazine was "The Referee's Code of Honor". It deals with some rules that will help with the relationship between the DM and the players. This will help make the DM and the campaign better. Some of the rules I might tweak but then maybe I am not as good a DM as I think I am. Below are those rules but if you are a DM give the full article a read.

1) Always treat your players with respect.
2) Never take a character away from a player.
3) Don't take on more than you can handle.
4) Be reliable outside the game.
5) Make the game fun for the players and yourself.
6) Take pride in your work and also in the group.

The rest of the magazine is full of normal features and a piece of fiction. There were also a high volume of advertisements in the magazine. I have put forth that there was a decline in the overall quality of Dragon over time. This one hit on some high notes but the ads occupy more space than the articles or seem to at least. In the end this is an issue to own for the articles I describe. It can be picked up for a few bucks or perhaps less if bought in a lot so give it a look over.

With this spell the magic user allows for a greatly increased movement rate. The spell is intended to used outdoors though there might be some instances where it would work in a subterranean environment.

The spell will allow the targets to travel at a speed that will allow them to travel a distance that would take them a week in just one day. The distance traveled will be lessened if there are any delays or obstacles that take more than a few rounds along the way. The spell will also eliminate the chance for random encounters as the speed being traveled out will make encounters unlikely.

The spell can target both those on foot and those mounted. The caster can mix these as desired though the travel rate for each target is based individually on their normal travel rate. The spell will not allow the use of wheeled transports as the vehicles will not be affected by the magic and will not hold up. This spell can be cast in an aquatic environment as well as on land.

The use of this spell is limited though as it puts a serious strain on the target. After use of this spell the target must rest two full days before it can be used again. If used mounted there is nothing to prevent the use of fresh mounts though.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

There are modules that you find to be hidden gems or forgotten treasures. There are then those that for some reason you knew you just had to have and you knew that they would be something you would be using again and again. and then in reality that was not the case. I am afraid that in the case of B8 " Journey to The Rock" the latter and not the former is the case.

"Journey to The Rock", released in 1984, does sport a cover by Elmore which is never a bad thing though this is not one of my favorites of his. The module is also a departure in the B series that it includes a fair level of wilderness adventure. These departures are not always bad as was it was done in B6 though that had its issues as well. I had read somewhere that the module was based off of a tournament adventure which makes it very linear in its flow which will be a negative to many.

The module has a few other issues. One is the fact that a fair portion of the module will not get to be played. The idea of the adventure is that the party has three paths to get to their objective. Unless they split up two of these won't get used in the module though the DM could save them for later.

One other concern that came to me while looking it over was the lack of real material there. The module is 32 pages long which is of average size for modules from that time period. Then I started looking at the content. There are four full page illustrations in the module but there are no smaller illustrations so that might be within the normal range. There are also four pages dedicated to handouts and pregenerated characters. There is a one page players map and one page dedicated to post module adventure ideas. There are three pages for the ToC and the introduction and two pages dedicated to new monsters. This gives us a total of 15 pages that are not adventure at all.

Once you get to the actual adventure portion of the module there is one page dedicated to the start of the adventure and four pages dedicated to The Rock. That leaves 12 pages that are split between the three paths. This will work out to eight pages of material that can't be used in the module without some series redesign. Doing some quick math this gives us what is basically a 9 page adventure.

After spending all this time beating it up I have to say that the adventure idea is not bad. It is more of an execution issue and taking the fact that, if what I read was right, and that it was designed as a tournament module the 9 pages would be about right for a two to three hour session. In the end is it worth picking up. I will have to say that I am not kicking myself for having it but I am not sure it was the best gaming investment I ever made. It does seem to sell for a bit more than others in the series but the print runs got smaller after B6 as I recall so scarcity is the issue there. I see it got between $15 and $25 most of the time so you might get a better bang for your buck buying some of the newer stuff released online.

From the back of the module:

"To a wizard, knowledge is power, and the wizard Lirdrium Arkayz wants to know the mysterious secret of The Rock. Many have tried to discover it - but The Rock keeps its secret well. The wizard offers a rich reward to anyone bold enough to solve this dark mystery.

But the road to The Rock leads to danger and hidden peril - dangers that hae claimed the lives of many brave adventurers. Rashness and folly will lead to quick death, but riches await the clever and the brave. Have you the wits, courage and skill to survive the Journey to The Rock?"

By means of this spell the magic user is able to merge themselves with the shadow of another creature. The effect of this will be to allow the caster passage to where ever the target creature goes. Unless something similar to a True Seeing spell is used the caster will not be detectable and Detect Invisibility will not allow them to be seen.

The spell does have its limitations and possible peril though. The caster is limited to casting this on a creature that is able to and is actively casting a shadow. The caster is also bound to the shadow and is at the mercy of the creature as to where they go. The caster can break the merger at any time and will appear at a distance from the creature equal to what they were when the spell was cast. They will appear in a spot that is "safe" from environmental effects but perhaps not other dangers.

There is also another possible danger connected with the use of this spell. If the creature enters an area where they are not casting a shadow the DM will need to make note of this. For each round after the first that there is not a shadow being cast there is a 5% chance that the caster will lose the connection. When this happens there are two possible outcomes. There is 50/50 chance that the caster will either have the merge broken as described above or be cast into the demi-plane of Shadow.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Friday, October 21, 2011

The Apocalypse Stone is a means to end or forever change a campaign world. Let me start by saying that if this was something I came up with for my own campaign I would have thought it the most clever idea in the world. I actually did something similar with the Codex of the Infinite Planes in a campaign. As a retail module this might not be the best idea.

Before I ever knew what the module was about I fell in love with the title and the cover art is so grim you have to want to know more about it. I had thought it was a module dealing with either Hell or the Abyss for some reason. Though the nether planes and the those of light end up getting involved it is in the end it is all about the end of the world.

I don't want to give too much away but some spoilers may follow. The basic premise is that the players get tricked into giving away the stone that holds the world together. They are then given the task of trying to undo what they allowed to happen before it gets to a point where it can't be stopped or undone. The villain in this is classic in their motivation but maybe a little too angst ridden for my taste. The means used to trick the players is one I love though.

Given that this was released in 2000 and was one of if not perhaps the last 2e module I have to wonder if it was intended to allow campaigns to end so new 3e ones could begin. I have found nothing to market it as such but the timing and the purpose of the module seem to match up pretty good. I guess it could be happenstance but I tend to want deeper meanings in the events I notice.

Like I said the module was released for 2e and it is 96 pages long. The idea is one that this is not something that a DM will just want to throw into their campaign unless the end it to reset or end it. I thought a good use for it might be to run it in such a way that the players are living out the end of the world as it previously happened. The first thought was having it occur while researching the Rain of Colorless Fire in Greyhawk or something like that but try and do it in a way they did not know it was actually an historical event. I then added the twist in my mind that maybe it wasn't so historical or that they were actually there somehow and they might be pawns in some larger cosmos level event or that they might not know their full potential/history.

In the end the module might not be worth buying for everyone. If you are tired of the way things are going and you want to end the campaign or change things up enough to make a fresh start of it then buy it. There are some good points of the module that could be used elsewhere but overall it has a purpose and it is hard to use things from it beyond that purpose. I am really on the fence when it comes to recommending it.

From the back of the module:

"The end times approach...

To everything there is a season. Every campaign has to come to and end sometime, so why not go out with a bang? The Apocalypse Stone is an epic adventure to challenge high-level characters, but beware - it will destroy your world!

This adventure has it all: gods and devils, plague and pestilence, rains of fire, and world-shattering conflicts. Here is an opportunity for PCs to display undreamt-of heroism...or fall to ultimate defeat.

The Apocalypse Stone is a tool for Dungeon Masters to present extremely challenging encounters for high-level parties, to wrap up a long-running campaign...or both.

This adventure can be used with your own game world or any ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS setting."

When this spell is cast the magic user will make the target creatures speech become incomprehensible to any that hear it. The target themselves will be able to understand what they are saying but will not be able to understand what others are saying.

The spell will only affect the communication with others. The casting of most spells will not be affected unless it involves communication with the target or a summoned creature. Some abilities such as turning undead could also be affected at the discretion of the DM. Attempts to write by the affected target will yield gibberish as well.

The duration will be a period of one turn plus one turn per level of the caster and an additional turn per point of intelligence of the caster. The target is entitled to a saving throw and if made the duration of the spell will be halved. Spells or other abilities that allow for comprehension of languages will not work as there is no language just garbled communication.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

White Wolf Night Edition was a free periodical that was produced amazingly enough by White Wolf. It was intended to support and/or promote their products. I do not see where it was mailed so it had to be distributed through game and comic shops.

The copies I have were obtained in the secondary market. I know I ended up purchasing just them in an eBay lot some time ago. I wanted to see what they were and most likely overpaid but I got six of them and paid less than $5 including shipping. The issue above is #3 and it was bi-monthly. The next issue I have is #6 and it had moved to quarterly by then. The last issue I have is #18 and that was fall of 2000 so I know it ran for at least that long.

Being close to magazines these are something I find fun to read. It is also nice to be able to see what was planned by the company and then compare it to what actually happened. I guess in the end it really just clutter though as it offers no really measurable gaming support. In a society where one of the most profitable businesses is self storage units and PODS I guess I am not the only one that keeps stuff like this!

Whith the casting of this spell the magic user will accomplish two things when involved in a hostile situation with another spell caster. The first is that they will be able to know the mind of the other caster. The second is that they will be able eliminate one or more spells from the others caster's arsenal.

When the spell is initially cast the magic user will be able to see what other spells that the target has memorized. This spell will only work on targets that memorize spells and not one that only have spell like abilities. The DM will need to present the caster with just the list of spells that have left not what might have been memorized and already used and not their full list of available spells.

After getting the list the caster will then be able to pick a spell and have it wiped from the mind of the victim. If this spell is fourth level or lower then there is no saving throw. The spell will simply vanish. If the spell is higher than fourth then the victim is entitled to a saving throw. If the initial spell is eliminated then the caster can pick another to have vanish. Regardless of this spells level the victim will get a save. If made the spell is not lost otherwise it will be lost as well. This process will continue until a save is made. Saving throws after the second are made with a progressive +1 until the process stops.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Sword of Justice published by Monkeygod Enterprises in 2002 is a D20 adventure designed for 1st and 2nd level characters. The premise of the module is one that has not been used in the form presented bt the underlying theme has been used before. The module works better beig designed for lower level characters than it would if it were being used for higher levels.

The premise is fairly straightforward. The party is accused of a murder which they did not commit. They are given two days to prove their innocence. In most cases a "Speak with Dead" spell or any other spell along that line would solve the problem. The problem is that in Om Amarna spell casting in prohibited in public and a curse causes many spells to backfire does not allow for this.

The adventure does not have an part that the players have to go through in order. The module consists of a series of encounters and location that the players could run into while trying to prove their innocence. The city itself is fleshed out enough for the adventure and could be used in the future though I don't think I would use it as a base of operations. The module includes a means of tracking travel time within the city so as to keep the two days idea part of the adventure.

The module introduces a new race the Arocha along with what seems to be the required d20 prestige class. The writing is done well enough though I am never one to really judge on that. I want the idea and some stat blocks and the rest I often find myself winging. There are some serious plot holes and the GM will need to work through or around these.

Overall it can work as provided as a one shot but even then would need some tweaking. I am not sure it would fit well into an existing campaign unless it was reworked by the GM some or he had a section of the world this could just be thrown into without disrupting the rest. When released the price was $13.95 so it was on the higher end and that would have hurt it. The module can be picked up fairly cheap so that helps it now. I think it can be mined for ideas and even used as it so I would say pick it up on a dare and give it shot.

From the back of the module:

Two Days to Live!

Welcome to Om Amarna, and the annual Horse Festival. It is a time of celebration, drinking, haggling, and thanksgiving.

Celebrate while you can, because soon the peace will be shattered. And in its wake will come danger, suspicion, and tragedy.

In this first adventure in the cursed land of Tieros, beginning characters will be forced to work together in a race against time to find critical answers in a crowded, diverse, and paranoid city. Answers that will satisfy the Dark Guard and the Cult of Justice. Answers that will save their own necks from the gallows.

The Sword of Justice introduces Tieros, a land cursed by the acts of an ancient hero, bound by common fate, and diverse in culture and belief.

In this adventure characters will become familiar with an exotic new PC race, the dangers of practicing magic in Tieros, the fanatical Cult of Justice who worships Law itself, and the ubiquitous Dark Guard, the military power that protects and enforces peace.

Will you survive your first adventure in Tieros, or will it claim your life?

This spell will allow the magic user to be comfortable in any normal level environment that they might find themselves in. The spell is limited in the range of extremes and the nature of the environment that it will protect the cast from though.

The caster will find that they will be comfortable in what would be standard ranges of temperatures they might encounter. They can operate and be comfortable in a range of 0 to 120 degrees. The spell does not provide any special benefits other than being comfortable though. The caster will not be protected from any other hazards in the environment other than the temperature. Toxins or poisons in the atmosphere will still affect them as will spells of a magical nature involving temperatures.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

When a module has been printed by two different companies in three different formats can you can assume one of two things. That one of the companies had nothing better than to copy steal another company's work or that the module is just that darn good. In the case of B7 Rahasia the latter is the case.

Originally published in 1979 by Daystar West Media in their Night Ventures line Rahasia was written by Laura Hickman and is most often thought of as the first module written solely by a female writer. When TSR purchased Daystar West Media they released the module again in 1983 as the first in the RPGA line of modules. In 1984 it was merged with Black Opal Eye (RPGA2) and released as B7 Rahasia. It also then later appeared in the B1-9 compilation though I am not counting that as a different release.

The module is different in a number of ways from the other modules in the B series. The setting of the module though cantering around an elven village has a very definite Arabic flavor to it. Another item is that for a very specific reason the module does not focus on killing things. The focus needs to be on stealth, roleplaying and creative problem solving. The name of the module Rahasia is Indonesian for secret and there is perhaps a reason for that being used.

The module is only 32 pages long but most of it is actually dedicated to the major area of the adventure. The adventure is large enough that I would suspect it will last two good sessions for normal party and it might last even more depending on the players. There is combat to be had but again the module is going to focus more on problem solving and players who enjoy combat more might be a bit put off by some concerns the module will raise.

I am a fan of most of the B series modules. The level range for this is not my favorite but all of the B series modules seem to make it enjoyable enough to be a low level character that I think that I have run and/or played them all. I would hate to have to pick which of the B series would be my favorite but I think B7 would have to be in the running is at worst in the top three. But then they are for the most part all better than much of what is commercially released today. If you can find this pick it up.

From the back of the module:

Grey Mountain lies deep in the lush elven forest. The temple there was a haven of meditation and learning - until taken over by an evil cleric known as the Rahib.

Far under the mountain, he paces before the temple's great altar. A brown-robed servant rushes in and falls to his knees. Trembling at the sight of the Rahib's black panther. "Rahib, adventurers came to the village as the sun rose - the strangers now protect Rahasia"

A scowl crosses the Rahib's face. "I must have Rahasia! Attack again tonight." As the servant scurries away, a deep growl rises from the giant cat.

Gripping the panther's leash, the Rahib paces again, speaking out load. "We must dispose of these strangers quickly; the secret beneath the temple will not wait much longer."

When this spell is cast the magic user causes their party to travel backwards in time. This will reset them to a specific point in time. The caster will pick the point in time when the spell is cast.

The caster will need to pick a point in time that is no farther back then their intelligence score plus three in rounds (minutes). When the spell is complete the casters party will immediately be reset. The part will have knowledge of what has transpired previously. There is nothing to say that if they change their course of action that other things won't change as well. Anything that the party may have acquired in the first run through the timeline will need to be removed and any items used restored.

The spell will have some negative side effects though due to the nature of what it does and the powerful magic involved. When the party is reset they will need to make a saving throw versus magic. If they save then they will only be stunned for one round while those that fail will be stunned and disoriented for two rounds.

The magic user will not be stunned but will suffer other effects. They will be aged five years by the powerful energies involved in the casting of the spell. They will also need to make two rolls. The first is for the spell itself as the magic for this spell is bound powerfully to its inscription. There is a 5% cumulative chance per use that the spell will vanish from the spell book after casting and will become such that it can't be memorized by that caster for a period of one year. The other will be a saving throw that if failed will cause the caster to lose 1d4 points of intelligence. These will be regained at a point per day.

Monday, October 17, 2011

I have mentioned before that one of the problems with d20 and the OGL was that it allowed everyone who had a passing interest to become published get published. This has been good in many cases for the OSR movement. When you look at the 3.x world this has not always been the case. There may have not been too many true clunkers but there has been a fair percentage of mediocre material released.

Hero's Journey: Castle Dunmere is an example of what I just described. It is in no way a bad product it is just average in nature. There is nothing that makes the module stand out as great or even a great value. It fills a role simply as an adventure for characters level 5 to 7.

The module is set in the land of Myrra which is not unique in any real way. They have changed the names of the races but that is about it. The material presented for the adventure is done well enough but nothing that will make it stand out. The art is actually on the substandard side in my opinion and the cover price was $8.95 for a 32 page module which was average to high.

As for the scenario itself the premise is one that has been tried before and it in the end lack anything that is going to compel the players to undertake the mission except greed. Now greed in a roleplaying game, for lack of a better word, is good. It will usually work with most players. If it doesn't then the GM will need to put on their conductors cap and yell "All Aboard". The fare is standard ending in a four level crawl.

I really wish I could say better things but at least nothing has been truly negative. Since it was released in 2001 this was part of what became a flood of 3.x released product. The good news is that you had no lack of choices the bad new is that you had too many choices. If there was anything that can be said to have come from that it is perhaps the community that developed online to help others become aware of the chaff that was being sold. I normally don't do this but I would say you can pass on this unless you want to have the whole series of Hero's Journey or are using the world of Myrra for your own.

From the back of the module:

Secrets abound at the famous Dunmere Castle. The locals stay away from what they claim is a haunted estate.

Now the owner of the house, Count Carlisle himself, has gone missing. His disappearance is being blamed on an old legend surrounding the castle; that of Countess Carlisle's ghost haunting the old manor. Sightings of the Countess are on the rise and the town is terrified.

Is the legend about Castle Dunmere true? There's only one way to find out.

When this spell is cast the magic user causes a series of mystical footprints to appear. These will be visible only to the caster and their party. They will show the most direct path to a location that the caster will specify when the spell is cast.

The spell will allow the caster to declare one of three specific locations when the spell is cast. The first will be the closest uninhabited safe place. The second, if in a dungeon, will be the location of the nearest exit or entrance to the next level up or down. The third location will be the path to the exit from the current location regardless of where it might be in regards to distance or level.

The caster is actually calling upon an extra-planar being when the spell is cast. These creatures do not exist on the same plane as the caster but will have unerring knowledge of any location summoned to. It should be noted that they take the shortest path which may not always be the safest.

Casting this spell is not without its cost. The creatures summoned feed on spell or life essence. If the first option is selected the creatures will exact payment of one random spell from the mind of the caster. If the second option is selected then the creatures will pull a spell at random and take one quarter of the casters remaining hit points. The last option will result in no spell loss but they will take one half the caster remaining hit points.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.